Earth anchor



1934- A. VAN LANTSCHOOT 1,976,529

EARTH ANCHOR Filed April 13, 1935 Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES EARTH A onoR August Arvan Lantschoot, Fairfield, Iowa Application April 13, 1933, Serial No. 665,925

1 Claim.

My invention relates to earth anchors and more specifically to the type in which a base plate secured to a guy rod acts as a support for a plurality of radiafly movable fiukes. These earth anchors might be used for the purpose of guying telephone poles and for supporting the end post of a line of fencing, or the like. In use, an inclined hole is bored in the earth of the exact diameter of the anchor with the flukes retracted. The anchor plate, with the guy rod attached, is then dropped to the bottom of the hole, the nukes being retracted in its operation. The flukes are then forced radially outward into the earth surrounding the hole.

In use, a tremendous strain is sometimes placed on the base plate due to the tension on the guy rod. These base plates are usually made of malleable iron and the great strain to which they are subjected frequently causes the base plates to bend out of shape, resulting in a slackening of the line of fence.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide improved means for strengthening the base plate, enabling it to stand up under great tension on the guy rod without harmful distortion.

Further objects will appear from the description and claim.

In the drawing, in which my invention is shown:

Figure l is a bottom plan view of the anchor with the flukes in extended position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the flukes in ex tended position;

Fig. 3 is an axial section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view showing my invention incorporated in a four-fluke anchor.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the construction shown comprises a guy rod 1 forming the tension member of the anchor, a base plate 2 secured to the lower end of the guy rod, a plurality of flukes 3 (three, as shown in Fig. 1) mounted for radial movement on said base plate, a spider 4 slidably mounted on the guy rod 1 and a plurality of links 5, one to each fluke, extending between the spider 4 and the respective flukes. The spider, links and flukes may, in general, be of any suitable construction and are not described in detail, as their action in general is well known, as indicated in the patent to Black'- burn, No. 1,041,233.

' It has heretofore been customary to provide a reinforcing rib on the base plate underneath each of the flukes and located directly under the center line of the fluke. Earth anchors have been made in this way for many years and while in the main they have been satisfactory, trouble has been experienced as indicated above, due to the base plates bending under the great strain to which they were subjected, resulting in an undesirable slackening of the line of fence. I have 66 found that by providing a pair of reinforcing ribs 6 underneath each of the flukes 3 with the ribs of each pair positioned on opposite sides of the center line of the fluke, a very much stronger construction is obtained and one much less liable to 6.5.;

distortion under the strain of the tension in the guy rod. These ribs 6, as shown in Fig. 1, extend from the central portion of the base plate to the periphery, the inner ends of the ribs being united to the pocket 7 in which the nut 8 for the guy 7 rod 1 is seated.

Difiiculty has also been experienced in earth anchors, due to the tendency of the flukes to work away and move upwardly from the base plate as they are being forced out into the earth surrounding the hole. I have found a way of overcoming this difiiculty by providing interengaging means between the base plate and fluke for guiding the upper fiuke in its radial movement, said guiding means comprising a T-shaped guide 9 on the 30 lower face of the upper fluke sliding in a T-shaped slot 10 in the upwardly-extending fluke support on the base plate. This provides overhanging portions 11 above the head of the T-shaped guide 9 which prevent the fluke from working away 85, from the base plate as it is forced outwardly.

The construction of Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that just described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3, except that there are four radially movable fiukes 3 supported by the base plate 2,

the central lines of the fiukes being substantially 90 apart. In this form there is one pair of reinforcing ribs for each fluke, the ribs of each pair being positioned on opposite sides of the central line of the fluke. These ribs extend from the walls of the rectangular pocket '7 in which the nut 8 is seated and each rib 6 is substantially aligned with one side wall of this pocket so that the combined effect is that of a number of beams extending clear across the bottom face of the base plate.

Both in the construction shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 4, each fluke is provided with two spaced parallel reinforcing guide ribs 12 on its under face. As shown in Figs.2 and 3, these parallel ribs rest on and are guided in an upwardly extending fluke support 13 on the periphery of the base plate, this fluke support having spaced guide portions for supporting and guiding the fluke in its radial movement. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, reinforcing ribs 6 extend from the nut pocket 7 to a position underneath the upwardly extending fluke supports 13 and adjacent the parallel guide ribs 12.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, thereforathat the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claim.

"Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

.Anearth anchor comprising a guy rod, a base plate to which said guy rod is centrally secured,

V and a plurality of radially movable flukes supported by said base plate, each of said fiukes having spaced parallel reinforcing guide ribs on their under faces positioned on opposite sides of the portions of the upwardly extending peripheral bosses and adjacent the parallel guide ribs on the flukes. 7

AUGUST A. VAN LANTSCHOOT. 

